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Estelle

Whoa! I can’t believe it’s been two+ months since my last post! So much has happened since then: many of the candidates I voted for ended up winning the Philadelphia primaries; I taught my first workshop on service learning, Spring bloomed (kinda) then gave way to summer, and most importantly: The Black Panther teaser dropped (ahhhhhhhh!!!). I blame work-life balance (and admittedly not taking the time to write). Although I’ve taken up some new initiatives, work has been pretty steady, which I’m grateful for. In a surprising twist on all conventional experience, It’s actually LIFE that’s been kicking my ass. I even have the nerve to be trying to read for 45 min – 1 hour a day! Who has that kinda time?……

On ServiceLife has been consumed with a lot of service and civic commitments, as I try to keep up and even ramp up some of my volunteer engagements. I had to seriously reassess my commitments, making sure I am using my time to serve on issues that are most important to me AND that I can sustain for a long time. There are several areas that really float my fancy: Education and Mentorship; Health & Fitness for a Cause; Politics (new for 2017) and Advocacy. I’m trying really hard not to overextend myself and sign up for a bunch of things are not related to that of those categories, or sign up for too much stuff in general, thus diluting my ability to effectively serve. Stay tuned for a bit more about the organizations I’m working with now.

On Healthy EatingIt’s been a roller coaster ride here! Some days, I’m eating so many veggies my intestines are telling me to back off the damn fiber. Other days, the pancreas is screaming at me to back off the damn sugar. Let’s just say my pancreas has been cussing me out more lately. I can’t help but eat the jolly ranchers by the admin desk at work. Plus Summer equals ice cream (did you guys know that Ben and Jerry’s makes ice cream cakes?!!!) and outdoor drinks! Luckily it also means the return of green smoothies and many delicious salads. I’m also trying to cutback on all the red meat and pork I consumed in copious amounts this winter and spring. So…more veggies, more fruit, more whole grains, nuts, fish, all the good stuff.

On FitnessOy vey……not good. No excuses here, just pure laziness. And I have been feeling it! Once I started seeing some weight gain in my mid-section, I knew it was a wrap. My husband and I signed up to run 10k in August….yep, hot ass 200% humidity August. I’d like to say that I’m doing my very first race ever for fun or to establish a base 10k time or whatever, but let’s be real – I’d also prefer to drop a few pounds in preparation for a beach trip later that month. We also now have a Peloton bike, fun stuff.

On A Happy ServingObviously I’m not doing a very good job of keeping up my writing, but I am committed to this space and to you (my 4 readers, one of whom is my husband, lol). Getting a post on here at least once a week, and updating the workout log is of paramount importance to me. There are also new features that I want to highlight, including showcasing awesome women who are serving their community in different ways while balancing work, life, and health. So stay tuned please!

I Don’t Know How To Explain To You That You Should Care About Other People. This one hit me right in the gut as it really puts words to a sentiment I’ve been struggling with for years. The lack of sympathy that I sometime sense in others gives my such a profound sadness. It made me think of one of my favorite Bible verses (let’s be real, I only know two Bible verses, if that ): “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?— Isaiah 10:1-3”

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond and this companion piece. Read these for June book club; this one is gut wrenching y’all. It focuses on housing and definitely underscores the need to have a real conversation about poverty in this country…it seems like more and more we refuse to address this in a real way. Read this one for your next book club meeting.

And I’m 31 years old. I was very hesitant to put this out on the net. Because I am embarrassed. It seems counter to many of the things I stand for. I like to think I am “aware” of various social issues in my city and in the world. I care about issues affecting marginalized communities, I try to do as much community service and volunteer work as I can be plugged into. I’ve liked many a Facebook post (HA!) about all of the -isms (race, sex, homophobia, ability,). I popped champagne when marriage equality became law. I have a diverse set of friends and acquaintances. I’m in a book club where we talk about race! I am a black woman; I bring a diverse perspective by just living and breathing. I love Black History Month! My day job involves education policy work.

My greatest passion in life is to work to make sure that every child, regardless of their zip code, has the opportunity to realize the greatest vision for themselves. I feel individuals, communities, and private sector, non-profit, and government organizations have a stake in that same vision. I am acutely aware that my life would have turned out very differently without a whole bunch of investment from many people and systems. I will yell and scream and cry about inequity in our country….yadda…yadda…yadda…..blah, blah, blah. I am a “good” citizen……….aren’t I? (I’m aware that the notion of parsing citizenship up into binary notions of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ is inherently problematic and perhaps lazy. I’m primarily speaking of my perception and expectation of MYSELF; ultimately everyone of course has to make a subjective value judgement that jives the way s/he wants to live in this regard).

But I have NEVER voted in a local election in my life, and I NEVER thought it was that big of deal. And then, like so many other people, the 2016 presidential election slapped the ego right out of my mouth. Of course I voted last fall, but like so many others it finally dawned on me that this one action, taken once every four years was not enough. So I work in public service, donate miniscule amounts of money to various organizations, tutor some kids semi-regularly and I talk about racism and sexism non-stop….AND?!

To top it all off I’m that person who, upon hearing that someone else is not going to vote in a presidential election, starts smugly ranting about how the ancestors fought, bled, and died for the enfranchisement of black people (ugh…I am seriously so embarrassed right now). With that, I had someone deluded myself into thinking I was an informed, engaged citizen.

Could I tell you what bills are on my state congressional floor?

Could I tell you who my state and city representatives were?

Could I tell you the dates of local elections?

Heck No. I barely remember when trash pick-up in my city is. And for me, that is a SHAME! (just call me Black Cersei…..or Hotep Sistah). Because this is not the type of citizen I want to be. Everyone’s civic engagement will (and should) look different, but the very idea that we can have a robust, functioning democracy without putting in work after we exit the voting booth ( if some of us even do that more than every four years; see post title) is naive at best and negligent as worst.

It falls to each of us to be those anxious, jealous guardians of our democracy; to embrace the joyous task we’ve been given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours. Because for all our outward differences, we all share the same proud title: Citizen.

Ultimately, that’s what our democracy demands. It needs you. Not just when there’s an election, not just when your own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime.-President Barack Obama, January 2017

For the last few months, I have been on a mission to learn how to be a citizen (imagine that!) and to better engage in democracy. I’ve had to fight my shame and deep discomfort every step of the way. I sought to answer:

What does that look like?

What are my entry points?

What is the local and state political infrastructure of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania ( my relatively new city and state)?

What the heck is organizing? President Obama told me to go organize but I don’t even know what it is, who does it, when I should do it! HEEEEEEELLLLLPPPPPP!!!!

So I decided a good starting point for me was to just show up. I’ve attended as many organizer trainings, issue forums, activist group meetings, non-profit information sessions, and primers for running for office as I’ve been able to jam into my schedule. On a given week I’ve had anywhere from 3-5 post work and weekend events, with the primary goal of trying to learn and absorb as much information as possible. Even with all that, I’m nowhere close to answering these questions, but I feel like there are some key lessons that I’ve learned to date.

I’m not ready to give up on systems….YET…This may be controversial but I still believe that as bureaucratic, inequitable, and sometimes corrupt our social, economic, and political structures are, there is still change to be had. There are many that feel that the various institutions that run our country (and perpetuate all is the -isms) are so inherently oppressive that working within the system is a massive waste of time. I can’t blame them, sometimes I think this was as well. But I also know that they won’t work at all unless we participate and stay informed. I can’t complain to my city councilman about neighborhood trash, if I don’t even know when city trash pick-up even happens.

If you stay away from a swamp, it will stay swampy. There are those in history that have bucked the system and those (many of whom we revere) that have still chosen to participation in some way, in service of incremental change. Some of this work hasn’t been flashy, some would say it hasn’t been big enough, that it requires too much capitulation to the ‘powers that be’, meanwhile people continue to suffer. I believe we need both types of people: people who rage against all of the oppressive, white-centered systems that exist (often at a greater sacrifice than many of us are willing to participate in), and people who embrace change that takes place gradually, over time. There has to be room for everyone, or else we lose too many.

Politics isn’t necessarily a dirty wordI am a lifelong skeptic of politics. I never saw myself having any part of it. I can barely tolerate navigating workplace drama. For me, community level engagement needed to be at a direct service level. I’ve had this inherent belief that any sort of politics is antithetical to authenticity. Politics was for self-centered, power hungry people. My dominated thoughts where:

Why would I willingly and actively participate in a political system that has historically marginalized people that look like me?

Why would I willingly and actively participate in a political system that continues to marginalized ( Voting Rights Act anyone?) people that look like me?

The system is rigged, so my participation doesn’t matter

Government is run by big business anyway – so what is my voice going to do?

I don’t have the kind of money that allows elected officials, at any level, to listen to me.

But I’m tired guys. I’m tired of feeling self- defeated about our government. I tired of talking and complaining and judging, and not ACTING.

I’m not too oldY’all, I’d somehow convinced myself that at 30+, I was too old to get engaged in government (someone give me a face palm here puh-lease!). I really thought that engaging with representatives was for young 20 something political superstars who work on the Hill. Well let me just say, that is naive. It’s never too late. If you don’t want to go march on the streets or organize, there’s still plenty of opportunity to give your representatives an earful every chance you can get. I’ve been so fearful of doing so many things in my life, and have missed out on amazing opportunities as a result. If I have to be the old lady in the room, then so be it.
Civic engagement and voting are two different things.
It can be straightforward (for some) to walk into a voting booth every four years (or two years or every six months) and vote. But to be an engaged citizen, damn, that takes TIME. You literally have to schedule citizenship into your calendar, particularly for things such as:

Going to elected candidate forums, town halls, and other meetings

Meeting with like-minded folks to organize around issues you collectively care about

Getting to know, calling and writing your reps

Learning about civic issues (listening to podcasts while cleaning or cooking makes this much easier!)

Taking part in public service

Raising money for a cause you care about

Getting people registered and out to vote.

Going to civic association meetings

(Re) reading foundational American documents

…..and so much more!

WOKENESS is not a competition….As a recovering serial perpetrator of the wokeness olympics……I have come to see the light and also see that you better back your judgement up with sustained action of your own. Just like oppression olympics, going around yelling at people about how woke they are or are not may not always be the best strategy. BUT GEEZ (I said I was recovering not cured, HA!), there has to be a minimum threshold! As I’ve learned for myself, apathy can sometimes be more dangerous than ignorance. We have to be able to garner some base level of compassion for people who continue to suffer from the effects of multi-generational poverty and oppression. When we can’t see the world outside of our bubbles, when we don’t care about policies that do not affect us directly, we all lose. I know we are all trying to do what we can with what we know; none of us are perfect. However, the easiest way to get under my skin is to hit me with the ‘this doesn’t affect me so I don’t care’. OR ‘I built my life by myself’ Maybe someone can break this down for me, but the concept doesn’t make sense to me. I just don’t get it.

I’ll get soapboxy for a few sentences and say: those of us who think our various forms of privilege and ‘self-determination’ will protect us, PLEASE resist this notion. The very fact that you walk down the street unharmed in this country is the result of someone else’s time, blood, sweat, and tears, particularly if you are a member of a historically marginalized group. Please try to be that someone for someone else, in any way that you can – small or large. Stand up for someone/something outside of your immediate circle. AND please let’s all vote as much as we can. If voting wasn’t important, there wouldn’t be such a concerted effort to disenfranchise so many people.

Ok off the soap box!

This past winter, I marched in the Women’s March, but the most important march I will be making this Spring will be to the polls. On Philadelphia’s primary election day (May 16), I will be casting my very first vote in a local election. I’ll have the chance to choose my party’s candidates for:

District Attorney

City Controller

Nine seats on Philadelphia County’s Court of Common Pleas

Two seats on the Philadelphia Municipal Court

Election officials (aka poll workers)

One seat on PA’s Supreme Court

Four seats on PA’s Superior Court

Two seats on PA’s Commonwealth Court

Whew! But then it won’t stop there- I’m gonna have to continually engage with and talk to these people so they understand that my vote wasn’t a blank mandate. They will be hearing from me!

What about you? Have you always been politically engaged? Has the past election prompted you to re-rethink your feelings about voting and politics?

Happy Wednesday guys! Despite the fact that we are well into this current week, I’m popping in to provide some quick updates from last week. I should have some shame about this, but I’m trying to get it in while I can so please forgive me.

Health/Fitness Lane
After getting back into my work-out groove the previous week, I clocked in with two Flywheel classes and a yoga class (via Three Queens yoga) last week. I’ve been having some right knee pain (aging like spoiled milk over here) so it felt really good to stretch it out. It’s crazy how quickly you can lose endurance when you haven’t worked out for awhile, I’m definitely still building mine back up. My goal for the rest of this week is to get in another five workouts. We shall see.

Civic Lane
There were two things on deck last week. I went to a mentor roundtable for a college access nonprofit I volunteer for. The staff brought in a psychologist who talked about the trauma that some of our most vulnerable youth face – mostly due to social determinants of poverty. They showed a video of a Philadelphia student who came from particularly challenging circumstances, but who still made to an Ivy League institution for college. The event was certainly well-intentioned, but I’ll be honest in saying that it also made me a bit uncomfortable. I feared that the mentors were being shown the effects of trauma through a very specific single story. We have to remember that young people from marginalized communities still have diverse experiences and the full scope of their stories need to be told. It was going to be difficult to do this in a 90 minute session, but I’m always weary of our tendency to engage in what I sometimes feel is “poverty porn”, where we use the most extreme examples to represent an entire group of people. I don’t think this was the intent of the organization at all, but as Chimamanda has said we have to be careful of making “one story become the only story”. There’s so much more to be said, but I’ll just leave it there. I made a mental note to give some feedback on the session.

I also co-taught a workshop for Mighty Writers, an out of school time writing program for neighborhood youth. We had a pizza party for the kids while they read their final stories to their parents. So cute!

Grooming: Nails
I’ve noticed a trend lately: everytime I go out with a group of women, I am always the only one with jacked up raggedy nails and cuticles. I went to NYC this past weekend for my friend’s 32’s second birthday party, and once again I noticed that almost all of the ladies had perfectly manicured nails. When it comes to beauty and maintenance, simplicity is key for me. I very rarely wear earrings. I do wear insane amounts of mascara and chapstick, but stay away from heavy foundations, blush, etc because I don’t like feeling like I have ‘stuff’ on my face. Most days I keep it at powder for my T-zone, and a bit of concealer if I have some hyperpigmentation from a black head. Although I love seeing other women with their beautiful make-up, I couldn’t “beat” my face if I tried. I would just end up looking like a clown. Plus I’m perpetually late to things, adding some blush or eyeliner in the morning would not bode well for my tardiness.
That being said, there is no need for my nails to look as unkempt as they usually do. Although it’s a luxury, I’m vowing to start getting some regular manicures or at least painting my nails at home or something.

Foodie LaneI’ve been slowly weaning myself off of cheddar bunnies (victory!). I also whipped up a big batch of my simple balsamic vinaigrette recipe, which I used for salads and also to marinade a big batch of chicken a few weeks ago. Here’s a super quick and simple recipe below.

You guys, April is National Volunteer Month! This is particularly exciting as it comes on the heels of MLK day, Black History Month and Women’s History Month. The beginning of each year is jammed packed with opportunities to think about how to get involved in, continue to, or amp up our community service work. This of course should never stop with one month or even a series of months, but it always wonderful to highlight all of the occasions we have to serve.

Dating back to the Nixon Presidency, there have been many executive orders and proclamations centered on honoring our nation’s commitment to service and each other. Last year, President Obama declared April 10 through April 16, 2016 as National Volunteer week. This year, volunteer week will fall on April 23-29, 2017. Overall, we typically celebrate volunteer service the whole month of April.

I’ve always liked engaging in volunteerism because so much of my early life was steered in a positive way by people who invested their time and energy in me in the most self-less of ways. From my after school program counselors, to private sector companies that provided money to education focused non-profits that I was able to participation in, I really do consider myself a product of investment in public education. My mom immigrated to the United States from Ghana in the 1970s; I’m forever grateful that she was able to get a visa and birth and raise her children here. Suffice it to say that my life would likely look totally different if she didn’t make that journey. As I was growing up, her favorite mantra to recite was “America is an opportunity country”. She literally said this bi-weekly (to my chagrin at the time). Our country has so much work to do in making that opportunity equitable for everyone, but my love for all that is good about this nation is deeply rooted in those words.

So many of us already give back in various ways that are aligned with our individual values and spirit. This presents another opportunity to kick it up a notch! Here are a few ways to celebrate all that is wonderful about service and giving, particularly in these very interesting times we live in.

Thank a Volunteer
Take the time to appreciate the many people in your life who engage in various levels of service activities. Of course, the ultimate reward comes through serving the end user, but it’s extra special to be recognized and appreciated by folks you would least expect it from. So if you know a friend/colleague/family member that is involved with a cool organization, give them a public or private shout out.

Volunteer!
Many volunteers will tell you it is such a rewarding experience. You don’t have to have a ton of time. If you have any special talent or skill that may benefit a charity or organization, please use it. Offer your services or ask how you can be of help. Research and contact an organization directly, or search websites like Volunteer Match or Just Serve. Many cities have a government office dedicated to service; search your city website for local opportunities.

Donate Money
Relatively straightforward and many of us already do this. There is certainly no shortage of organizations looking for money these days. While it’s great to donate to national organizations, but remember that local non-profits especially need support. The biggies, such as Planned Parenthood and the ACLU are awesome, but your community refugee settlement organization, tutoring program, or clinic could also use some of that cash-money.

Tell Someone about a Cool Organization
If you are involved with organizations that you are passionate about, help bring awareness to them and the issue they are tackling. Tag them on social media. Caption a recent accomplishment. It may seem antithetical or ironic, but throw humility out of the window for a second and talk about what you do! You never know who may be reading or listening.

Do what you can (and pace yourself)
There is no rule book that guides volunteerism. Service comes in all forms. Many of us are often serving others without even consciously knowing it. Whether you are giving someone a genuine smile and hello, bringing food for after church service, or helping your young family member with homework, it all counts. Every act, no matter how big or small, routine or sporadic deserves our deepest gratitude. If you ever get stuck or overwhelmed about what to engage in, think about the following questions:

What are the issues that I care about?

What do I bring to the table that’s unique to my passion and/or skill set?

Who do I know that is passionate about, or already involved in those issues?

To that end, THANK YOU to all the amazing, passionate, equity-focused people I’ve had the great pleasure of engaging with throughout my life. I am inspired and humbled by each and every one of you! You Slay!

Do you currently engage in volunteerism? What issues are you most passionate about?

Similar to fitness lane, it’s been pretty quiet in civic lane on the blog; that wonderful vacation I took put a monkey wrench in many things (yep, insert side-eye emoji). I continue to attend as many events as I can, and I am learning a ton in this quest to literally teach myself how to be an engaged citizen.

To that end, I recently attended a “Civics Cafe” event hosted by Young Involved Philadelphia, a networking organization that aims to increase civic engagement to empower and connect young people in Philadelphia. Last month’s cafe event centered around getting your legislators’ attention. The panel features two members of Philly United for Progress (a grassroots advocacy group), and Pennsylvania House Representative Jordan Harris. They shared some key strategies that can help anyone get to know and most importantly, ENGAGE, with their representatives.

Sign up for their newsletterEvery elected official has some sort of listserv that they use to communicate with their constituents (or whomever else signs up). These communications typically contain an overview of the key issue(s) the representative (“rep”) is advocating for, upcoming town halls, and any positive press they have recently received. They will almost always also include an ask for money. Sign up to keep your finger on the pulse.

Request a Meeting
Most reps, especially at the city and state level are more than happy to meet with their constituents. You can call their local office and request a meeting to discuss issues that are important to you. Keep in mind: depending on the number of constituents the politician represents, it may take awhile to get on their calendar.

This is particularly important: if your rep has taken a position that you disagree with, DO NOT go in and start screaming about how horrible s/he is. Remember that your reps and their staff are people too. Even if you think they support vile policy, are out to destroy the very face of the earth, or are bottom feeding scum, remember that they are still human beings. Their stature does not exempt them from reacting as any human would, whether it’s through anger or apathy. Respectfully ask them to explain why they did/will vote they way they did/will, then respectfully articulate your position.

Before the repeal of the Affordable Care Act failed in the U.S. House, I called my House Rep. to discuss his position on the law. I was giddy when someone picked up (after being greeted by answering machines for many weeks), and geared up to give that person an ear full. I had my finger in the air and everything. Then I realized it was some young staffer,who was probably was just going to relay a summary of all calls received, at an end of day staff meeting. So do not get your attitude and do not give them a petty reason to write you off.

Keep Your Pulse on Upcoming BillsGo onto your state/city legislature website to see what bills are coming up and the time table they will be voted on. If your reps are gearing up to vote on an issue that you care about, call them and let your opinion be known.

Follow them on social mediaNuff said. Find out what are they doing and what they are talking about. What are they sharing? What issues are they bringing awareness too? Who do they follow?

Vote in LOCALElectionsEvery six months there is an election in Philly. There is likely always something going on in your city/state too. You have to make the time to be informed, otherwise you concede your citizen power to someone else. The less you know, the more powerful other interest groups are.

Join your local civic association (or other residential community organization)These are volunteer run, neighborhood based organizations that come together to spur collective action on community affairs. Civic associations are concerned with everything that affects the community – schools, roads, recreation, zoning, trash collection, and perhaps most importantly, PARKING. State and local elected officials will often present at an association meeting, detailing their current legislative agenda. It’s a great place to understand the issues that impact your particular neighborhood, and also ask your rep some questions.

Bonus Takeaways

Do not feel intimidated. Despite what some of them think, your reps work for YOU. Money is powerful, but so is collective voice and action. There are regular people who are engaging every day; dip your feet in the pool for a little and then just jump in! After a while it gets way easier to make that call.

The vast majority of our reps are frothing at the mouth to be re-elected; use that to your advantage. On the local level, a few hundred votes can swing a local election.

If a candidate is non-responsive when they are running for office, you better believe that you won’t hear a peep from them once they are elected. So pay attention to who is running for every type of office there is – City Controller, Judges, District Attorney, State Representatives. If we don’t pay attention, we don’t get to later say we didn’t know what was going on.

Build coalitions with people of different political perspectives, find common ground, and go advocate together!

Remember (said in my best Mufasa voice): Being involved in politics as a citizen is hard, but it’s also our responsibility. It takes so much more than voting every four years (a huge lesson that I’ve had to learn). So go and get in their behinds (nicely of course)!

B!*$H I’m Back!!!
Ok that was a bit much…. But I’m so pumped because I feel like I’m getting my fitness mojo back after experiencing a huge slump that was going on eights weeks. My lack of workout posts have likely been telling.

It started before I went on vacation, having never quite recovered from an early 2017 bout with gloominess. I told myself that I would get back on it when I returned to ‘Murica. That still didn’t happen. I then found myself in a place where I’ve averaged about one run per week over these last two months. My body and spirit haven’t been responding kindly. Couple that with the fact that I’ve been getting way too much of my calorie intake from cheddar bunnies, I knew that I just had to suck it up and get it together. Here’s how last week unfolded:

Monday: Nothing…..I let myself have this but this was it! Tomorrow I was going to workout come hell or high water.

Tuesday: I figured a short morning run was the best way to ease back in. Once I took those first few strides, I knew it was going to take some mental toughness to get through. To start, I don’t have ANY natural affinity for running so any amount of conditioning that I lose sets me back by quite a lot. By mile two I felt my spirit dampen a bit…I was putting in the effort: grunting, huffing, and puffing, but it felt like I was running through quicksand. I was so happy when it was over. The first one back is always the hardest.

Wednesday: I treated myself to an encore run courtesy of my Back On My Feet crew. Our run leader led us through 800M intervals…….and yeah……..maybe the second one back is always the hardest.

Thursday: Rest. My ego was a little bruised by this point. My sporadic knee pain also began to flare up, ugh. Hello, Thirties.

Friday: FlyWheel class with my fave instructor, Alanna. She is so cool and energetic, and has really great music. But she does not play; she refuses to let anyone phone it in near the end of class. Her last few songs will often contain some of the hardest intervals and choreography of the 45 min class. There were times when I just sat my booty on the spin bike and just tried to pedal as hard as possible because it felt like my heart was going to explode out of my chest if I stayed in third position. You would think I am a 300+ power rider the way I was carrying on.

Saturday: Went out to run 3 miles at 8pm. I’d made some baked macaroni and cheese, and sweet potato casserole earlier. With the amount of butter, cheese, and sugar that went into these dishes, I was going to have to earn some of those calories.

you know I ate more than this one piece

Sunday: Morning RippedPHL class. I skipped the treadmill portion of class and focused on strength training only. There was a great deal of shoulder and leg work (might have to moderate my water intake as my legs will probably be screaming tomorrow, and I can’t get up to pee every 30 seconds).

So there you have it; it starts with that first step! Let’s pray I can ride this wave. CONSISTENCY is KEY and SUMMER IS COMING (this is screaming for a Game of Thrones joke but I think I’ve hit my corny quota for this week).

What about you; how did you move your body this week? What do you do to get out of a fitness slump?

I hope you have a wonderful week! May you run into it head on, like this impala is running to wherever the heck s/he is going.

Similar to Cape Town, the Kruger area has been going through a pretty severe drought over the past two to three years. According to our safari guide, many animals, especially hippos and cape buffalo, have perished during this time. It’s one thing to have low rainfall for a single year; once this happens for multiple years the situation starts to compound and becomes increasingly dire. During periods with fresh water shortages, the animals do not necessarily die due to thirst, but rather because of lack of food. Less water equals less plants available for grazing; which can be devastating for the animals who eat heavily plant based diets (e.g., elephants, buffalo, giraffe, zebras, etc). When going on safari, most people are very focused on seeing ‘The Big Five’: Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Cape Buffalo, and Rhinoceros. These animals are unfortunately also considered the most desirable species to hunt. I feel tempted to wax on about the injustice and destruction that poachers have heaped on the African Rhino population, but that’s another conversation for another time (for the record, it’s so heartbreaking). During our trip, we got to see four of the big five: lion, elephant, cape buffalo, and rhino.

Cape Buffalo
Klaserie boasts plenty of cape buffalo that tend to congregate and move in herds, but sometimes chill out in isolation too. On our first morning drive, we saw this enormous fellow.

Depending on age, sex, and life experiences, a cape buffalo can weigh anywhere from 500 to 2,000lbs!! If a lion is lucky enough to take down a large buffalo, they will gorge on the food for days until the carcass is completely wiped clean. In fact, our lodge had the skull and bones of a Cape buffalo that was taken down by several lions; everything was wiped clean. I thought I could clean off some oxtail bones pretty well, but that has nothing on what these lions can do. Speaking of eating, our guide said that Buffalos will chew, swallow and regurgitate their food about nine times before their bodies will digest it. Sexy.

We also came across a whole herd of buffalo just relaxing by a small waterhole.

When they see the vehicles and humans, they stare so intently as if they are trying to figure out what kind of potential new predator it is. You definitely can’t get too close at all or they may charge. Once they drop their heads and come straight at you with their horns primed for attack, that’s pretty much a wrap.

Rhino
I never thought I’d want to see a rhino, but when I got lucky enough to feast eyes on two of them….WHOA BABY! They are magnificent. We saw two white rhinos (the largest species of rhinoceros).

I was most intrigued by the their physical structure, from their horns to the side placement of their eyes, to the way that their noses are situated in relation to the rest of their face. The first rhino we saw was a little spooked by the truck; and immediately started running away. The amount of speed, relative to its size, that it was able to pick up in a short amount of time took my breath away.

You do not want to be in the path of an agitated rhino for sure. The other rhino, that we saw on our last morning drive, stopped in the middle of the path to pee. Everyone’s gotta go when they gotta go.

Impala, Zebras, Wildebeest
Whether you are in Greater Kruger or Kruger proper, you will come across innumerable impala (a type of antelope). They are everywhere.

We saw many males, females, and calves (so cute!). They are very fast and will run away at the slightest provocation.

We’d often see young males grouped together, as they are typically forced out of female heavy herds once they reach maturation.

If you have the chance to see a zebra up close, there is no way you won’t marvel at nature. Their stripes are literally symmetry in perfection. Like impalas, they are fast and tend to run at the sight of pretty much anything.

On our last drive, we came across a random wildebeest, which is another type of antelope.

Our guide described wildebeests as some of the most stupid animals he has come across, haha. Apparently they just aren’t very discerning when it comes to running from predators. If they sense danger they will just charge off in a particular direction and often run smack into the nearest tree. This can injure and render them completely helpless to any lion or other carnivore nearby. Poor things.

Misc: Warthog, Birds, CobrasIt’s fun to see the larger animals, but I also have to give a shout out to some of the unsung heroes of the bush. Kruger as a whole has an immense and diverse population of really beautiful birds, including hornbills, starlings, and eagles.

Random warthog (Pumbaa on the Lion King)

Final shout out to the black mamba cobra that jutted out from under our truck and stood at almost 4 feet tall before slithering onto a tree. Cue heart attack.

Throughout this part of the trip, I’d been musing about the effect of human behavior on the animal population and diversity. Our guide shared a compelling perspective: nature already accounts for humans’ destructive nature; we are, in essence, already part of the grand ‘plan’. It was an interesting take on things. This is not to say that I am no longer concerned about climate change and the insane rate of our global population growth (which results in loss of habitat), but it’s interesting to think about this notion that nature has allowed for the propensity for human destruction, given our extreme intelligence as a species. Or maybe we think that just to make ourselves feel better? This is more philosophical that I typically get, but this time in the bushes of Africa definitely leaves me with a lot to reflect on regarding our place in this circle of life (sorry couldn’t help it; my corniness is deep rooted!)

Quick Tips for Going on Safari

Book your safari excursion as early as possible. I would recommend that you start planning it at least 9 months in advance. We started looking to book stuff about 5 months out and many of the safari resorts were sold out. Even the self-camping options that you can book directly through South Africa’s National Park system, had severely depleted options for our dates. March/April is a popular time because the Kruger Area is just coming off its rainy season, but it’s not too hot yet.

If you want to see the greatest concentration of animals, you’ll want to stay in Kruger National Park. We stayed in Greater Kruger Area, which, although is not fenced off from the actual park, does have less animals in certain areas. One of our lodge mates spent a few days self-camping in Kruger proper, and said she saw animals in the range of hundreds. We didn’t see nearly as many.

If you are set on seeing a lion like I was, keep in mind that they tend to prefer large, expansive, open savannahs, as opposed to areas with thick trees and vegetation. This is why folks will tend to see more animals in the lower Kruger area (Sabi Sands is said to be particularly good for this).

Leopards are harder to see because they are nocturnal.

That’s it for our time on safari! I can’t wait until I go again (crosses finger)! Stay tuned for our adventures in Johannesburg and a tour of all the food (i.e., meat) that we inhaled.

After enjoying six sunny, beautiful days in Cape Town, it was time to go see ALL the animals (ok, maybe just some). One of the reasons why I was so excited about this trip was my deep and longstanding desire to see a lion. Although the logistics can be difficult, I pushed hard for us to book time safari time. For me, there was little use in coming to this part of the world without seeing a giraffe in its (relatively) natural habitat. Hubs wasn’t against this, but I don’t think he was as gung-ho about it as I was. Either way, onto Greater Kruger we went!

After our flight was delayed for about two hours, we flew out of Capetown (in a very tiny airplane) to Hoedspruit Airport. Hoedspruit is about an hour away from the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. Klaserie sits in the Greater Kruger Area, which surrounds Kruger National Park. When we arrived at Senalala Luxury Private Camp, we were greeted by one of our safari guides who gave us the lay of the land, including the fact that WIFI could only be accessed from a hotspot in the main lounge. I am one of those people who goes cuckoo if I have to go more than one day without easily accessible internet (chuck it up to my millennial sensibilities). Luckily, we discovered that the wifi signal reached our cabin (praise all the deities).

After eating a late lunch, we were off for our first drive!

A quick background on the structure of most lodges:

We went on two game drives a day – one at 5:45 am and another around 4 pm. After the morning drive, breakfast is served back at the lodge. You then chill out for a few hours before eating lunch, chilling some more, and then heading out for the evening drive.

Game drives last about three hours, including a 15-20 minute break for morning coffee and biscuits or evening wine and snacks (also called a sun downer). We were obsessed with the dried mango (way better than the ones I typically get from Trader Joes) and high quality jerky type meats, one of which is call ‘biltong’.

Our safari staffed two guides (they don’t call them rangers). One of our guides was a South African native descended from the Dutch who immigrated to and colonized South Africa centuries ago. He mentioned that having a female guide is rare and the few female guides they have ‘look very masculine’. You already know I gave him major side eye and push back on that.

The life of a guide, or any safari lodge staff member is super interesting. They all basically give up ‘normal’ life to live in the jungle full time. All of the food has to be brought in from the nearest city. There are no movie theaters, coffee shops, libraries, grocery stores, etc. And perhaps, one of the most important things: there is no FLYWHEEL (….j/k…well, not really…). But seriously, most of the things that comprise regular city life just aren’t there. So basically you have to really be committed to the lifestyle. I asked one of our guides what he does about dating; he said that any girl he dates would just have to come live in the bush with him. Good luck to him, I can barely make it past a week in the suburbs of any US city.

Ok, onto the animals and, once again, the excessive use of superlatives!

Giraffes
Within 15 minutes of our very first drive, we saw a male giraffe who seemed to be on his way somewhere. He saw us in the Land Rover, but kept going his merry little way.

Most of the animals aren’t frightened by the trucks at all as they are used to getting gawked at by humans. The giraffe stride is one of the most elegant things I’ve ever seen: it’s slow, steady, and purposeful (#life goals). These physiological marvels were truly a treat to see. They are so tall.

I’m always in awe of the distance that their hearts have to pump blood in either direction of their bodies; it’s just very cool.

We saw a female giraffe a few days later; she was just grazing and going about her business. She was a little more aware of the truck, but overall, giraffes are very chill.

ElephantsOne of the most spectacular (here we go!) things we saw was two teenage elephants playing in a sizable watering hole. They were chilling, splashing, jumping on each other’s backs, and pulling water through their trunks. It was quite a sight.

They even pooped in the watering hole (a true sign of a carefree life, I’m telling you); the poop was literally the size of my arms (which of course means the #2 was huge).

poop alert: look closely at the lower right section

They were so cute and rambunctious and funny; I love elephants; they are such incredible and social creatures.

We also saw a few more elephants by the watering hole at our lodge. Given the current drought all over Kruger, the animals love to discover fresh water.

It was very hot on one of the days so they came to take a splash in the water to cool off.

Elephants often have birds and insects that land all over their bodies. Since they are unable to scratch themselves, they rub their bodies all over nearby trees.

On our last game drive, we saw an enormous male “bull”elephant wandering through the bush. This thing was so large it took my breath away. It’s insane how these animals gets so big just eating grass and vegetation. If you ever find yourself in the unfortunate situation of getting sat on by a fully grown elephant…..well…..yeah…..

Finally, our guide mentioned that sometimes the government decides to put down elephants as they can be destructive to the trees and vegetation in the area. If an elephant decides run to/from something, the combination of the force and speed can knock down even the most stallworth tree with no problem at all. In fact we saw an elephant casually push down a very large tree, and that thing just fell over like it was a plastic bag.

Lions
When we first arrived, one of our guides heard me carrying on and on about lions. He checked me really quickly, telling us that lion sightings are rare in Klaserie as they tend to prefer open savannahs/plains as opposed to areas with very thick vegetation and low visibility. I won’t even lie, I almost cried. I came to see a damn lion (ever the privileged Westerner demanding that nature capitulate to my whims)! Luckily, while we never saw a male lion, nature took pity on me by letting us feast our eyes on a few lionesses and large cubs.
The first set of lionesses were lounging deep into some thick bush so we were only able to see them through our binoculars. Later that day, we got a close up view of two lionesses just chilling.

Let me tell you, lions are boring as heck. They just gorge themselves on food, lay around all day and lick and scratch themselves (a typical Sunday for me, minus the licking). I guess this makes sense because they are cats.

They also don’t see humans as a threat, unless you get out of the vehicle.

We were later tracking the same lionesses and a group of cubs (they were about a year old so pretty sizable already) and saw an impala wander in the general vicinity of the lions.

Not long after we settled out of the truck for our sundowner, we heard some vicious growling and snarling very close to us. Our guide ordered us to get in the truck immediately. Let. ME. TELL. YOU…….my African genes kicked in and I damn near backflipped into the vehicle. I was was the first one in the truck (with Hubs not far behind me) because, listen, whenever you tell me there is danger, I run. No explanation needed. I grabbed my wine glass (of course), hopped over the driver’s seat and got my ass in the car while people were standing around wondering what was happening. As much as I love them, I was not trying to go out being eaten by a lion.
Anyhow, it turns about that we were not in imminent danger but rather our guide correctly deciphered that the lions were in the middle of a kill – that poor impala got got. We raced over to the scene, to see the group of cubs ripping apart their food.

It was pretty dark and visibility was low but the noises…..WOW! The growling, snarling, sounds of bone crunching, and the lions fighting each other for the scraps with blood all over their mouths; it was quite the sensory experience. Of course, the biggest and oldest lion cub got the most food; he took his carcass and went off to a corner by himself to eat. When it comes to food, these animals have no compunction about being impolite; ‘sharing is caring’ generally doesn’t exist with predators. I’ll give humans that, we tend to generally value being nicer to one another.

On our last evening drive, we saw what was presumably the same two lionesses hanging out by a watering hole that is frequented by buffalo. At some point they decided to start walking. This was cool because their footsteps and strides were completely in sync, each paw perfectly timed with each other. Seeing it brought up a surge of emotion in me as it seemed to be a display of friendship and camaraderie. Lions are so cool.

I’ve been going through a major workout lull, having not quite recovered from my slight despondency from a few weeks ago. I had major plans to jump start my work-outs this weekend, since the last time I moved my body came in the form of a 3 mile run last Sunday. It’s now this Sunday evening and it looks like it’s not going to happen. Hubs and I are seriously considering getting a Peloton bike so we can ditch the excuse of not wanting to go out for a workout or claiming that our schedules don’t allow for it. Stay Tuned.

Speaking of the hubs, he has been working some crazy hours this week, so he crashed hard during our recurring Friday evening TV show catch-up session. I ended up watching Scandal and reading a bunch of articles I have saved on my Instapaper. I also chilled hard on Saturday, mostly consuming the internet and working on some essays for a leadership program I am applying to. I later headed out to hang with a friend for a few hours. So basically, internet holes ruled my life this weekend. I know I need to get it together.

I woke up late on Sunday (around 9:00 am) but rushed to tidy up the house and do some email management before heading out to help teach a Mighty Writers workshop for the program’s six and seven year olds (they are the cutest).

I then went to Whole Foods. Yes, you read that correctly – I took my behind to Whole Foods on a Sunday afternoon. I had some podcasts teed up so I wouldn’t be consumed with boredom and frustration while waiting on line to pay. If you do not have some sort of media to entertain you during Sunday grocery runs – please fix this in your life. The health of your mind and soul is not worth it. Cause let’s be real – how soul sucking is it to wait in those long arse lines while cute and wonderfully rambunctious kids are complaining to their parents about how they want cheddar bunnies?

And WHY?!!!! do I always end up in the checkout line that just happens to be moving the slowest because the check register stopped working, or someone didn’t write down the code they need for stuff they got from the bulk aisle? I once saw someone paying for groceries with a check – do people still do that?!!!

Anyway…….(sorry, shopping for groceries is the bane of my existence, I don’t know what I will do when I have kids). This week’s grocery haul was relatively light since I have a bunch of stuff from last week that I didn’t cook.

Fruit: mangoes, clementines, strawberries, bananas (we eat so many of these – as much as I try to buy locally, most of the bananas I get are shipped over from tropical countries. Lord help us if U.S. trade policy ever impacts our banana supply).

Misc: almond milk creamer (this is a new product for me, we’ll see what it tastes like with my coffee) stew beef, whole milk yogurt, sweet brown rice, larabars (pineapple upside down cake is the best flavor).

After I unloaded the groceries, hubs and I went to a Sunday happy hour at Double Knot and chatted it up for a bit.

Speaking of food, I’m definitely the cook of my household. Hubs claims he likes to cook and has dabbled in the past, but overall it’s more theoretical than a reality. While he does the best he can, he’s most adept at making restaurant reservations and ordering take-out (which I definitely appreciate). Over the past few years, as his work schedule has lightened up, he’s taken up grocery shopping a lot more (praise the lord). His specialty is buying frozen Trader Joe’s meals.

When it comes to meal planning, I tend to stick to a pretty loosely structured format. Time permitting, I’ll spend a few hours on a Sunday, roasting veggies, cooking some grains for the week, or making some sort of stew/casserole (last week I made a lentil/kale stew). We typically just eat this stuff for any meal we want over the course of the week. Depending on how motivated I am when I get home from work, I’ll make a stand alone meal for us to eat.

This week’s menu:

Stir-fry beef and peppers

Roasted sweet potatoes, asparagus, brussel sprouts, sweet corn

Sauteed kale

Pot of sweet brown rice (I love this stuff; you can find it in the WH bulk isles)

beef and peppers in progress

At some point during the week, I’ll likely bake some chicken breasts I have on hand.

After cooking this stuff, I will finish up some writing, write few more emails, then head to bed.

Last month (is it seriously April already…how, Sway?!), my husband and I got to spend 11 wonderful days (14 total with travel) in beautiful South Africa, visiting Cape Town, the Greater Kruger National Park Area (aka safari), and Johannesburg. 2016 was such a weird year for me so I was more than happy to cap off the first quarter of 2017 with a trip to the motherland. It was everything I hoped it would be – equal parts relaxing, fun, thrilling, and inspiring. In fact, I would say those nouns ended up correlating with different experiences in each part of the country we were in. I really hope I get to go back one day. Visiting the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg should be required for anyone that is apart of the African diaspora, and certainly just anyone in general.

This trip was 100% my DH’s idea; he’s always wanted to go to South Africa. I was definitely excited, but never really thought of it as a bucket list country. I’ve moreso focused on getting in a trip to Ghana (way overdue here) or an East African country such as Kenya or Tanzania. But once I saw the great price on flights and realized that a safari excursion could be part of the trip, I was all on board. I’ve never been a huge fan of zoos and have had a long-standing desperation to see a lion (they are amazing creatures, more on that later). Of course now I can’t wait to go back.

Getting There and Back
We flew out of JFK via Emirates Airlines. The flight time to Capetown was approximately 22 hours, with a 3 hour layover in in Dubai, for a total of 25 hours. 22 hours in coach (cause we ain’t got it like that) will literally destroy your spirit (and your lower back). We got in lucky in that, for the first leg of the flight (12.5 hours), there was an empty row of seats in the back of plane. Then for the second leg (9.5 hours), no one was assigned to sit with us. So for the most part we (really, I) got to stretch our legs out for a bit. Overall, Emirates is a pretty nice airline – the snacks are decent, there are ample entertainment options, and the staff is is nice and accommodating. We flew back home out of Johannesburg – the flight time was the same, except our layover in Dubai was 3 and a half hours.

Let’s kick this off by talking about Cape Town. Be prepared to see repeat use of words like incredible, spectacular, amazing, breathtaking…..yadda yadda!

Capetown

Capetown is breathtaking (see, did it already). It’s just beautiful, picturesque, and sunny 100% of the time.

Preparing to land in Capetown

The sunniness comes at an extremely high cost. as the city, and the rest of the country to varying extents, is going through a very severe drought. In fact, when we were there, the city only had approximately 90 days of water left, with the reservoir at only 22% of capacity. That is some scary stuff. We were super cognizant of our water use the whole time. Nonetheless, I was pumped to be there!

We arrived on a Wednesday evening, called an Uber and stepped out of the airport, only to be immediately greeted by the magnificent Table Mountain.

You can see the mountain from almost every part of the city, and its breathtaking (again!) every single time. After setting in, we headed over to the V&A Waterfront to get some sim cards. I was pretty tired after the flight and everything in Capetown closes ridiculously early, so we just spent the night relaxing.

Day One – Beach Time and Lion’s HeadWe woke up to a beautiful, sunny day and decided to head to the beach in Camp’s Bay. We first grabbed a bite to eat from Ocean Blue (the food here was just decent). After eating, we crossed the promenade, rented some beach chairs, and laid out.

I had grand plans to read a book but jet lag and the fierce gusts of wind had other plans. I mean it was so windy I literally had to keep my face covered the entire time because the wind blew sand in my hair, eyes, and EVERYWHERE else. We could barely to speak to each other because then sand would fly into our mouths. Nonetheless, we managed to enjoy the views (there’s not much to complain about when you have water in front of you and mountains behind you) and get in some beachside napping.

After a few hours we grabbed some drinks then Uber-ed (is this really a verb now?) over to Lion’s Head mountain.

It takes around an hour to hike up Lion’s Head, and let me tell y’all…..I was NOT READY. Although I am fiercely afraid of heights, I somehow thought I would enjoy this activity. I was not prepared for how rocky and straight up vertical (oh the irony, it’s a damn mountain!) this journey was. There were some points where I thought I would not be able to climb anymore. I was literally crouching down and crawling on my hands, with dust and grim and dirt engulfing me.

Look closely to spot the distress in my face lol!

There were points where we had to use an affixed ladder to climb the side of mountain; I was so terrified I almost regurgitated my lunch. The views were increasingly incredible, but the city girl in me was so miserable I couldn’t enjoy literally being on top of the city. In full disclosure, I also had not worked out in a few weeks so I was doing some embarrassing huffing and puffing the whole time.

Meanwhile, hubs was dang near skipping up the mountain like a toddler in a jungle gym. He was so pleased and eager to the get to the top that when we reached the ‘neck’ of the lion’s head, I just told him to go on. I sat down, ate a snack, and enjoyed the sunset.

faking smiles for picture’s sake

By the time we were ready to head back down, it was getting dark and we had to use our phones to light the way. At one point, we had to leverage permanent anchors affixed to the mountain to get down and I just started chanting “omg, I can’t do this!’ I literally thought I was going to fall off the side to my death. My husband was a few people behind me and busy taking pictures (how big of a side eye can I get in here) so some poor British guy had to coax me down the anchors. He told me to face the mountain and not to look down.

The pending darkness had me completely spooked. I spent the next 45 minutes walking in silence because I couldn’t get out of my own head.

I can’t even articulate the level of relief that washed over me when we reached the bottom. Suffice it to say that hiking is not for me. I immediately ditched my pipe dream of hiking up Table Mountain (and thank goodness I did, cause that would have guaranteed death).

After arriving back at our rental apt and profusely thanking the universe for my life, we showered and headed out to dinner at The Black Sheep. The food here was so amazing that we ended up at dinner here twice during our time in Cape Town.

Day Two – Robben IslandWe started off day two by enjoying tapas at Fork before heading over to the VA Waterfront to catch our ferry to Robben Island. The ride over took 30 minutes and we enjoyed some amazing views on our way over.

I wasn’t quite ready for how emotional the tour of Robben Island would make me. But perhaps you are not surprised after Lion’s Head exposed my inner crybaby.

During the tour we learned about the history of resistance in South Africa, the state sanctioned slaughter of black people during uprisings against the oppressive white government, and the human rights abuses heaped on people imprisoned on the island.

There are direct views of Cape Town from Robben Island. Even without the hours of working the limestone quarries under the unrelenting sun, or the subpar slop that those imprisoned had to eat, one could easily mentally deteriorate seeing that just across the ocean, people enjoyed their freedom.

view of Table Mountain from Robben Island

The tour guide told us about former political prisoners such as Robert Sobukwe, who was kept in solitary and abused to the point that he lost his mind.

Mandela, Steve Biko, and Robert Sobukwe are represented in the three middle pictures

He also shared the many other psychological and physical abuses that prisoners had to endure, with Black prisoners bearing the brunt of the injustice. These included:

Lack of education (many prisoners taught each other and engaged in political discussions).

Lack of access to under wear…yes…underwear.

Ability to receive monthly visitors for 30 minutes only, and only after six months imprisonment.

Censorship of letters. For example, if a prisoner wrote to a girlfriend and a wife, the guards would swap the letters going to start petty drama (what the heck is the point of this?!! so…much…..side eye…).

Disgusting food. In fact, Black prisoners were given less food of less quality as compared to White and Asian prisoners.

Black people were referred to as ‘Bantus’ back then

After going through the rest of the prison, we finally arrived at Nelson Mandela’s cell. The Hubs and I took pictures but mostly just stood in complete awe that Mandela spent 17 of his 27 years of imprisonment in this space that is barely bigger than our bathroom back home.

We spent around two hours on the island before it was time to leave.

We ferried back to the mainland just as the sun was setting.
We walked around the Waterfront for a bit and took some obligatory touristy pics.

We then went back to the apt to get ready for dinner at The Culture Cheese Club. I ate a TON of cheese and meat on this trip, but more on food later.

Days Three and Four – Table Mountain and Franschoek (aka all the wine)!We woke up nice and early (8am) to head over to the Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill. This place gets crowded fast,so get there early! There’s food, music,and vintage shopping available. For my New Yorkers, it reminds me of the Smorgasbord location that is(was?) at Brooklyn Flea. After gorging on waffles, oysters, and fried mac and cheese, we uber-ed on over to Table Mountain!

We took the cable car up (very cool) and were immediately greeted with spectacular views.

The top of the mountain is so vast that it can take up to an hour to walk the whole thing. Additionally, there is a restaurant, coffee shop, and gift shop on the mountain. We spent a few hours walking around, marveling at our proximity to the clouds (Table Mountain is much higher than Lion’s Head), and taking pictures.

It eventually came time for us to take the cable car back down and get ready for dinner at Kloof Street House.On Day Four, we took an Uber out to the Vineyards in Franschhoek, which is about an hour from Cape Town. Hubs booked us on the Franschhoek Wine Tram, where you can visit up to eight vineyards. We spent an hour at each vineyard, sampling two to five wines at each. Dieu Donne Winery is a must visit – the views are dreamy.

what’s life without a douchey wine pic?

Dinner this night was at Arnold’s Restaurant. I wasn’t pleased with this meal at all. I’m going to write a separate post about all of the food in South Africa.

Days Five and Six – Bo Kaap, A Drive Around the Coast, and Off to Safari!We slept in this morning and started our day with a brunch at Jason’s Bakery. We arrived too late to partake in their supposedly life changing almond croissants. We walked off the food by strolling through a market in City Center, where we also passed by the Iziko Slave Lodge and took a quick jaunt through the colorful neighborhood of Bo Kaap (muslim quarters of CT).

We then met up with our driver for the day, who drove us all the way down the western coast of South Africa. Places we hit up and took a billion pictures at:

Boulders Penguin Colony in Simons Town (cute penguins!)

Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve

Cape Point, the most south western point of the African continent (as it very clearly says in the picture, lol)

Cape Agulhas lighthouse (you can take a cable car to the top); this is also where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet

Chapman’s Peak Drive

This one deserves all the superlatives: astonishing, beautiful, spectacular (did I use that already?)! Seriously, the views all along the coast are so incredible you won’t even notice that the heavy wind is about to knock your teeth out every time you step out of the car.

We topped off a long adventure with dinner back at The Black Sheep. The next day we hopped on a plane to Greater Kruger National Park! Finally, my dream to see a lion was coming closer to being fulfilled.……

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Hi, I’m Estelle! Welcome to my little space, where I serve up a glimpse into my life in the city of Brotherly Love. Everyday, I try to create a better version of myself and a better world for others by: eating well, moving my body, working in service of educational equity, staying civically engaged. You can find me at ahappyserving@gmail.com.

Civic Engagement

"Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes."

"Civic engagement encompasses actions wherein individuals participate in activities of personal and public concern that are both individually life enriching and socially beneficial to
the community."

(Excerpts from Civic Responsibility and Higher Education, edited by Thomas Ehrlich, published by Oryx Press, 2000.)

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Disclaimer

I am not a physician, registered dietician, or other health professional. My blog is simply a documentation of my life. The views I express are mine alone, based on my own experiences, and should not be taken as medical advice.